The Bloody Chamber
by justanoutlaw
Summary: When Regina marries a wealthy man to save her family, he warns her that the basement is expressly off limits.


**Based on the short story, The Bloody Chamber which is an adaption of the fairytale "Bluebeard".**

Regina felt as if the choker was a real life collar, nearly taking the air out of her. It had been a wedding gift from Leopold, meant to represent how much he loved her, but the rubies were heavy. Even so, she wore it as he commanded, just as she did the white dresses that he had purchased for her.

She had married this man for her mother, she kept repeating to herself. Cora had sacrificed so much for her and this was what she had to do. She'd marry the rich baron and make sure that her mother was cared for, for the rest of her life. She would be the perfect wife, even if it meant turning a blind eye to the many red flags that kept popping up.

"You may not go to the basement," Leopold told her, several times.

"Why not?"

"There is no reason for you to."

Even so, Regina would wake up every night and find the space in bed beside her empty. She'd sneak down the spiral staircase and find Leopold coming out of the door that lead to the basement. He'd remove the set of skeleton keys from his jacket pocket and lock the door once more. She'd search for the keys during the day, but she had a feeling that he kept them on him at all times.

Leopold was a business man, which meant he was gone most of the time. Regina forced herself to go to the many teas or other functions she was expected to as his wife, but she spent most of her time in the spacious manor. Her only companion was the butler, Robin. He was kind, he gave her gentle smiles and they chatted. He'd make her tea and ask her about her day. Robin was the only person in that whole community that still made her feel like she was her own person.

One afternoon, as she searched for the keys, she stumbled across her husband's pornography collection. Regina had never seen so many women naked. They were all far skinnier than her, all of them white and blonde for the most part. She looked at her own body in the mirror, with her curves and the tiny bit of pudge that hung around her stomach.

Was that the kind of woman he wanted?

"Mr. Blanchard is a pig," Robin said, frankly, when Regina brought up the pictures over her weekly tea.

"Was his first wife as skinny and blonde as that?"

"I never met Eva. Though, I knew Kelly."

"Kelly?"

"His wife before you."

"I was under the impression that he had only been married once before, to his daughter's mother."

Robin tilted his head. "Miss, Leopold has been married seven times before you."

"What happened to them?"

Robin shrugged. "To be honest, I was told that most of them left him. I only started working for him a year ago."

"Oh." Regina frowned, stirring the sugar into her tea. "That's…odd."

"I'd say so." He took her in. "Just so you know…I do think you're quite beautiful."

Regina blushed, ducking her head.

She got lucky just one week later. Leopold came home one evening, drunk. He passed out in their bed, still wearing his suit. Regina reached into his breast pocket and carefully pulled out the skeleton keys. She paused when his breathing shifted, but he let out a loud snore soon after. She carefully pulled off the choker and changed into a dark dress, one she had packed before she moved from her mother's home. None of the other servants would see her, she'd blend in with the dark walls.

A candle in one hand, the keys in the other, Regina walked down the stairs and using one key after another, she attempted to get into the basement. The final one did the trick and she walked down the creaky wooden steps, being careful not to make a noise.

The basement reeked of a smell that she couldn't quite place. Leopold insisted on the house being cleaned, had he never sent Johanna down there? She took another step and heard a crunch. Looking down, she realized she had stepped on bone.

Shining the candle around the room, Regina saw several human skeletons about the basement. In a cage in a corner laid a decaying corpse, taking a step forward, she realized that it matched the description that Robin had given her of Kelly.

Regina quickly swallowed and was about to run, when she felt a hand go on her shoulder.

"Someone's been bad," Leopold's voice whispered in her ear, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand up.

"Leopold…"

"I was really hoping that I wouldn't have to do this for awhile."

Leopold blew out the candle, taking hold of her shoulder and dragged her up the staircase. She was lead into the garden, despite her wiggling. He kicked her in the back and she ended up on her knees. Leopold reached to his side and pulled the sword from his robe. The cool blade rested against Regina's throat. Her heart raced a mile a minute.

"Any last words, my love?" Leopold whispered.

Before she could say anything, Regina heard a gunshot. The sword fell in front of her and she turned to find Leopold's body against the stone walkway. The center of his forehead bled as her ears rung from the sudden sound. She turned and in the moonlight found Robin standing there, the smoke from the revolver still billowing. Regina leaped to her feet and ran to him, jumping into his arms.

Leopold's body was added to the chamber and Regina sold the manor not long after the incident She and Robin disappeared into the night, moving to the small town of Sherwood where they would indeed live happily ever after.


End file.
